I'm not a fan of their name or the way they seem to ostracize their sole female bandmate (now ex-bandmate) in all promotional pictures, but I have to admit that Dirty On Purpose has grown on me. I first heard of them a while ago, but found their name so unappealing that I put off listening to them. What a judgmental mistake that was. I completely missed out on their early 90s-reminiscent indie rock for x amount of years. Besides, they have the balls to make fun of themselves. A faux newspaper clipping on their website is entitled "Worst Band Name Ever?" I'm tempted to say so.

Formed in Brooklyn in 2002, Dirty On Purpose is compared to Yo La Tengo a lot, and for good reason. Vocal comparisons aren't far off, and the overall sound and feel of both bands, especially in Yo La Tengo's earlier stages, definitely share similarities. Melody-driven with heavy emphasis on the almighty guitar, Dirty On Purpose creates crashing waves of distortion and reverberation. Shoegazer band? Perhaps. The fuzzy, layered guitar riffs, subdued vocals, and reigning melodies prevalent in their music undeniably point in that direction. Bringing that feel back to the 2000s makes this band beyond noteworthy. With their latest release, "Hallelujah Sirens" and an extensive tour under their belt, Dirty On Purpose still has a couple shows to squeeze out. Check them out if you can!A Few Shows They're Playing:Jan. 12 Brillobox Pennsylvania, PA $6Jan. 13 Division Avenue Arts Cooperative Grand Rapids, MI $6Jan. 14 Tomorrow Never Knows Festival @ Schubas Chicago, IL $15

Saw them play about a month back, and I think one of my ears is still bleeding. It was well worth the ear damage though, because they do what they do quite well. You can check out a full review at the link below if you are interested:

Both Sides of the Mouth is a dual-authored mp3 blog based in Austin, Texas. All audio posted on this site is meant for sampling purposes only. If you really like what you hear, show it and support the artist - buy an album, buy some merch. If you represent or own any media on this site and would like something taken down please email us, and we will take the neccessary action of removing the file(s).